No Proof Of Slurs In Central-LTHS Game: Principal

HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale Central High School found no evidence to back up an allegation that its baseball players used racial slurs during an April game against Lyons Township High School, the principal said Friday.

In an interview, Principal Bill Walsh said officials from both Central and Lyons Township interviewed players, coaches and others in their investigation.

After the April 21 game, Central received a complaint that one of its players repeatedly uttered the N-word against an African American player on the Lyons Township team and called him a "boy."

The complaint, which came from a fan, also said a variety of slurs were used against other players.

"The investigation did conclude that the sportsmanship from the student fans warrants the Building Leadership Team at Hinsdale Central to implement measures that will address sportsmanship and appropriate behavior of student fans attending high school sporting events," Walsh said in an email.

In the interview, Walsh said the Illinois High School Association has strict rules for dealing with hate speech.

"Any allegation we have to take seriously and fully investigate," Walsh said.

In an interview, the team's pitching coach, Brent Kittel, said he and the other coaches never heard the alleged language. If racial slurs were made during a game, association rules require officials and coaches to stop the event, Kittel said.

"The player would be immediately removed from the game," he said. "If a fan is going to hear it, the coaches would hear it, too."

He said fans on both sides heckled each other, becoming inappropriate at times.

"But it didn't cross the line into the N-word," Kittel said. "We've taken heat for something we didn't do. I can tell you the racial slur did not occur."

He said many of the players on the teams are friendly with each other, particularly because many of them belong to the same traveling teams during the summer.

Last week, Patch came across the complaint on Hinsdale High School District 86's online public records database.

Asked about it last Friday, District 86 released a statement.

"We are deeply troubled by the allegations that members of the baseball team from Hinsdale Central may have engaged in inappropriate and offensive behavior that included the use of racial slurs," District 86 spokesman Chris Jasculca said in an email to Patch. "This type of behavior does not align with what we value and believe in as a district, and will not be tolerated."

Patch asked Walsh about when the school reached the conclusion it could find no evidence to support the allegation.

"I don't recall the exact date," he said. "LT had to do an investigation as well."